


Twists of Fate

by Morg47



Category: DBSK | Tohoshinki | TVfXQ | TVXQ, EXO (Band), INFINITE (Band), NU'EST, Super Junior, U-KISS
Genre: Fairies, M/M, Magic, Saving the World
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-09
Updated: 2021-03-22
Packaged: 2021-04-22 14:14:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22182307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Morg47/pseuds/Morg47
Summary: Ren, the last of the faeries, travels the world preparing for the final battle. Slowly, he gathers those he needs and protects them. Even though his job is to help shape fate, Ren can't help but find himself twisted into its fibers as he gains friends like he's never had before. All he can do is hope that he’s making the right choices that will protect them all.
Relationships: Choi Minki | Ren/Kang Dongho | Baekho, Jang Dongwoo/Lee Howon | Hoya, Kim Jonghyun | JR/Aaron Kwak | Aron, Kim Myungsoo | L/Lee Sungyeol, Kim Sunggyu/Nam Woohyun
Kudos: 7





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is a story that I posted on Asianfanfics. I want to bring all of my stories to AO3 so I'm going to be posting it here. Any changes that are made here will also be made to the original. They'll be exactly the same on both websites.
> 
> Enjoy!

The trees were talking. Branches creaked, leaves rustled, and trunks groaned as they gossiped together. Never before had the forest been this alive, but it wasn’t due to the rain that they all knew was going to fall. No, they were talking about something else. Something that was thought to be impossible, which was partly why Aaron disregarded the chatter. There was no way an actual fairy was in their forest. They were rumored to be extinct. The magi had spent plenty of years making sure of that.

Aaron sat against the trunk of one of his favorite trees and listened as they chatted around him. They were excited. Aaron wasn’t about to ruin their good mood. His job was to guide and protect them. A fairy, if one was really there, wouldn’t do anything to harm the trees.

Shifting in his spot, Aaron let out a quiet sigh before looking up at the dark sky. The clouds were heavy with rain. The water elves had been busy with the wind elves to create the storm that was coming. Aaron was ready for it. The forest was getting too dry for his comfort.

Aaron blinked several times as he realized that he was no longer looking up at the sky but instead into the face of another creature. “Oh, they were right. You are a fairy.”

Smiling, the fairy stepped back while the wood elf rose to his feet. “I’m Ren. I am in need of your help.”

Frowning at that, Aaron dusted off his pants before glancing back up at the sky. He almost turned to shush the trees around them. They were quivering with how excited they were. It was hard for Aaron to focus on anything except them. “It’s well known that those that help faeries tend not to return.”

Ren kept his gaze on the elf that he had traveled far to find. “Mother’s task has fallen on me to complete as I am the last of my kind. I must find others to help me. I cannot carry this burden alone. You are the only one of your kind that can help.”

“I doubt that.”

“I don’t. I’ve looked into the future. There can be no one else. Please, Aaron.”

Not surprised that Ren knew his name, Aaron crossed his arms over his chest as he looked up at the dark sky once more. The storm was almost ready. They’d made the winds stronger to help the trees shake loose their dead branches and leaves. He’d been working all week to make sure that they’d dug their roots deep to stand fast. He was needed here. “I cannot leave. I am needed here.”

Nodding, Ren took a small step forward. “The storm is about to start. I cannot stay here. I must move on. But I will return for you if you are willing to come with me.”

Aaron turned away from the fairy. The task that Mother had given to the faeries was the stuff of legends. Elves had been gossiping about it for eons. He’d never met anyone during his long life that had actually met a fairy or seen the battle between good and evil. “What is it that you would need me to do?”

More than aware that most creatures had heard of the faeries and Mother’s task, Ren took a deep breath. He needed to be concise. His time was running out. “It is my task to ready the world for the final battle. For now, I must gather the ones that must be there. I need your help.”

“What final battle? The magi have, for the most part, gone underground. The Earth has been thriving for decades now.”

Ren dropped his chin as he looked down at the forest floor. Aaron wasn’t wrong. But he also wasn’t right. “Listen to your trees, wood elf. What are they saying?”

Having been so focused on Ren and ignoring the quivering of the trees, Aaron hadn’t noticed when they stopped being excited and started being afraid. “Fire? What fire? What have you done?”

“I am the last of my kind, Aaron. I am constantly hunted. No matter where I go, they follow.”

“And you came here?! Why would you do this to someone you are asking to help you?”

Ren looked back up at the clouds. “This was the safest time I could come. Anything they try to do to your trees will be stopped by the storm.”

“You should leave.”

Ren dropped his gaze back to the trees around him. He couldn’t help but smile at them. They were strong and beautiful. They would live many more years to come. Ren had seen it. “I need your answer.”

Aaron opened his mouth before snapping it shut at the sound of growls echoing through his trees. There were no natural creatures that sounded like that. “What is this?”

“They are coming for me. Aaron, please. I need your help.”

Watching as the creatures that lived amongst his trees fled, Aaron couldn’t help but clench his jaw. “You should go. The trees are speaking of hounds made of fire.”

Ren, despite the dismissal, stood his ground. “I will not die today and neither shall any of your trees. Yes, a fire has started, but I have done everything within my power to prevent casualties. Please Aaron, without you there is no future.”

The trees were crying out in pain. The hounds were getting closer. “My job is to protect all things that grow from the earth. Yet, you ask me to abandon this calling to assist you.”

“I am not asking you to stop protecting the plants that you love so much. I am asking you to help me save all of them rather than just a single forest.”

“I will not sacrifice this forest to go with you.”

“I am not asking you to.”

Aaron turned back to the fairy just as the fire dogs appeared. Flames rolled off their bodies, spreading to the dry leaves and sticks on the forest floor. “You said that there would be no casualties.”

Ren turned to face the fire dogs. He could feel their heat against his face and arms. “There won’t be. Call out to the water elves. Have them release the rain. It is time.”

Aaron almost tipped his head back to look at the sky once more. It was only the growls of the fire dogs that made him keep his eyes on them instead. “I can’t call out to them. Not with these devil hounds here.”

Ren took another step forward to put himself between the fire dogs and Aaron. “I will protect you. Quickly, Aaron.”

Aaron stared at Ren’s back for a second before throwing his head back. He was well aware that the fairy had no real way to protect them. For whatever reason, the hounds were not attacking. Aaron knew that they wouldn’t hold back for long.

Letting his mind connect to nature more than it usually was, Aaron felt his jaw go slack as he pushed through the connection that all elves shared with the Earth. “Release the rains.”

_It is not yet time._

“There is a fire.”

There was no answer but Aaron could feel the shift in the air. The others were working quickly to prevent further damage. Dropping his head to his chest, Aaron sucked in a sharp breath of air. “Hopefully, they will be fast enough. Why aren’t they attacking?”

Ren stayed between the elf and the dogs. “They are here to prevent me from escaping until their masters catch up. They spread fire in the hopes to trap me here.”

Aaron couldn’t help but scowl. “Don’t they know that you’re a fairy? You could easily escape them.”

Ren couldn’t help but throw a smile over his shoulder at Aaron. “But I am trapped here. I cannot leave until I have your answer.”

“You’re a fool for risking your life. If you really are the last fairy then you should have left long ago.”

“Some things are worth the risk.”

Aaron knew what the fairy meant even if his risks were not putting the entire world in jeopardy. “Am I truly the only one?”

“Yes.”

The dogs moved forward. Aaron backed up until he felt one of his strongest trees behind him. Ren stood before him still, but far closer than he had before. “If we survive this, I will help you.”

Snapping his head around, Ren couldn’t help but smile. “Aaron.”

Holding up one of his hands, Aaron shook his head before turning back to the hounds that kept coming closer. “I won’t leave with you today. There is far too much damage here that I must repair.”

The first few drops of rain that fell were the most beautiful things that Aaron had seen in a while. The trees around him stretched up to welcome the rain as it became heavier. The wind began to pick up. Aaron could hear the trees calling out in relief. The fire was being put out.

The hounds guarding them let out sharp sounds as the rain fell on them. They jumped around before snapping their fiery mouths at Ren and Aaron once more. Then they were extinguished. All that was left behind was a small dark stone.

Moving quickly, Ren picked up the three stones from the fire dogs. He slipped them into a small bag that he carried before turning to smile at Aaron once more. The rain felt wonderful. “Thank you, Aaron.”

Nodding, Aaron did his best to not look at the fairy before him. Ren was beautiful before, but the rain and his happiness made him look ethereal. Then again, he was. “You should go before their masters arrive. There is much for me to do here.”

Still smiling, Ren tipped his head back to feel the rain on his face. He lifted his hands and let his mind wander the paths of the future. It was more defined now that Aaron had agreed to help him.

“I can feel you doing something powerful. What is it?”

Ren didn’t bother to stop smiling as he lowered his hands back to his sides. “The future.”

“What?”

“The future was showing me possibilities. Things that we’ll be able to accomplish together now that the chances of success have changed.”

“Do you look into the future often?”

Smiling still, Ren tilted his head to the side. “You’ll find out.”

Aaron held back the need to roll his eyes. “I suppose I will. When will you return for me?”

Ren took a second to look around the forest. He knew he had several options. The future was always changing. “I’m not sure. At the least, a year. There are things that I can do without your help so that you may be here to heal the forest.”

Aaron nodded at that. He turned to rest his palm against one of his trees before looking back at Ren. “You said it had to be me.”

“Yes?”  
  
“Why?”

Ren brushed his long hair out of his face. The storm had definitely begun. The wind was tearing its way through the trees. “When I look into the future, I can change things to see how they will affect everything. You are the one that gives me the best outcome. I could have gone to someone else if you had refused, but the future would not have been as bright. I had to ask you if you would help, at the very least.”  
  
“Despite the fact that you knew that I might say no, you still risked your life to come here to speak with me. I don’t think the last fairy should put himself in danger so easily.”

“Ah,” Ren said with a smile. “But it wasn’t without cause. I promise you that I am much more careful when I’m not trying to save the future.”

Frowning at that, Aaron narrowed his eyes. “When are you not trying to save the future?”

Laughing, Ren turned to make his way out of the forest. The magi that had been tracking him would lose him in the storm. He had things he had to do. “I will see you soon, Aaron.”

Shaking his head, Aaron couldn’t help but mutter under his breath about faeries that made questionable choices as he moved through his trees. He had a lot of work to do, what with helping them weather the storm while also heal from the fires. The time that he had before Ren returned would not be long enough.


	2. Chapter 2

During the time that Ren had left him, Aaron healed his trees and helped them to grow strong. He’d also spent plenty of time thinking about all the ways that he could help Ren with various things. While he was going to miss his trees, Aaron couldn’t help but think about all the different plants that he was going to encounter while traveling the world.

He just hadn’t thought that they’d be doing what they were currently doing. None of his daydreams had prepared him for Ren’s plan. “You know that I agreed to help you in order to help protect you, right?”

“This is the only way, Aaron.”  
  
“That doesn’t mean that I have to like it.”

Sighing, Ren bit back his smile. “While I appreciate your concern, I feel like I need to remind you that I’ve checked and double-checked all possible outcomes. I know what to do to make sure that I make it back to you. You only have to wait here.”

Rolling his eyes at that, Aaron nudged Ren with his elbow. “Waiting is the worst.”

“You’re a wood elf. You literally like watching plants grow. You do all sorts of waiting.”  
  
“This is a different type of waiting. You should go. They’ll be doing their patrols soon.”

Ren nodded at that. He took several steps away before stopping. They hadn’t been traveling together for very long but Ren considered Aaron a friend already. “I’ll be back, Aaron.”

Waving off the fairy, Aaron turned to the trees that he was to wait in. “You better. I’ll come in there after you if you don’t.”

Smiling, Ren turned back to make his way out of the forest and to a nearby hill that was relatively clear. It was the perfect place to be spotted by magi. He knew that his disguise was perfect and that the magi that would find him would not recognize him.

That did not mean that he wasn’t nervous. He had reassured Aaron but that didn’t mean that things couldn’t still go horribly wrong. The future was always changing. New paths were opening while others were fading from existence.

Shaking himself, Ren stopped at the top of the hill. He needed to be confident for his plan to work. Lifting his hands, Ren smiled as he felt the wind twist through his fingers. “I need your help for a bit. You know who is being held prisoner here. Help me free him.”

A gust of wind made Ren take a step back. He couldn’t help but laugh at how eager the wind was. “I need to put on a convincing show. They need to think that I’m a wind elf.”

The wind swirled around him again. It was strong enough to lift him to his toes. “One lift should be enough.”

He felt his hair get swept back from his face. Unable to help his smile, Ren turned to follow the direction of the breeze. “I promise that we’ll fly together once I’ve freed him.”

The wind swirled around him before lifting him several feet into the air in response. Ren didn’t bother to hold back his laughter. From his vantage point in the sky, he could see the magi as they spotted him. He pretended not to notice them as he let the wind move him.

By the time he was lowered to the ground, they were coming up the hill. Ren squared himself as he faced the magi. They were ugly, despicable creatures. “Just enough of a show, remember? I need to be captured.”

The wind ruffled his hair as magi crested the hill. “Leave me be or suffer the consequences.”

The creatures would, in the future, learn to speak the languages of Mother’s creatures. For now, they grunted and growled at each other and Ren in their own language. While Ren did not know exactly what they were saying, he understood the gist of it. “I said be gone!”

With a sweep of his arms, Ren felt the wind rush past him. He watched it knock the magi off their feet. They grew angrier. “Not too much, love. I know you hate them but we have to stick to the plan.”

The wind ruffled his hair again. The next time he directed it at the magi, it wasn’t nearly as strong. The dark creatures were barely pushed back a step. Their grunts turned more gleeful as they advanced on him. Ren did his best to act like he was putting up a fight as they surrounded him. The wind did a great job of helping him while also letting him lose.

He let out a fake cry of outrage as power dampening cuffs were put on his arms. “You know,” Ren said in an angry voice, “your twisted magics and advanced technologies will not aid you for long. You think you’ve caught a wind elf. This is why you will lose.”

The magi, unable to understand a word the elf was saying, grunted at each other as they pulled him along to their underground lair. In their own language, they congratulated themselves for capturing another elf for their prison. They didn’t think that he needed as much security as some of their other prisoners, but they’d leave the cuffs on him. He wouldn’t be able to do anything until they were ready to move him.

Ren followed his captors through the twisting hallways of their prison. The earth had been carved out to fit their purposes. He felt a sadness deep within his bones at the sight of the way the ground had been scarred from the inside.

Struggling mostly for show, Ren frowned as the door to his cell was closed. “And you did a terrible job of working with the earth to carve your dungeons! I’ll make sure every last one of you is wiped from the earth!”

The guards hit his door, which Ren figured was their way of telling him to calm down. Huffing, he moved to lean back against the wall of his cell. He could hear whispers of pain from the earth. Ren did his best to fight back tears. He would do what he could, but he couldn’t forget the reason he was there in the first place.

Waiting, Ren closed his eyes and let the future play out in his mind. So far, he was staying on course. His plan was working. He tweaked a few things before opening his eyes. It was now or never.

Lifting his hands to look at the metal cuffs around his wrists, Ren used his powers to move his wrists through them. Their power was strong but he was stronger. Rubbing at his wrists, Ren ignored the discarded cuffs as they fell to the ground with a thud. A normal elf would have been restricted by their magic. Ren couldn’t help but smile at that thought. He wasn’t, by any means, a normal elf.

Resting his eyes for a moment, Ren looked into the future. He would need to wait a few minutes for the guards to be far enough away before he made his way out of his cell. With his eyes still shut and his mind wandering down the paths of the future, Ren made his move. The door to his crude cell was locked but was nowhere near strong enough to contain him. Ren pushed against it. Slowly, he applied more and more pressure until the lock broke and he was able to leave his cell quietly.

Keeping his mind to the immediate future, he followed the halls until he stood outside another cell. The elf he was looking for was inside. Turning to the door, Ren rested his palm against the tainted wood. “I need to enter.”

For a moment, nothing happened. Then the door creaked before it shuddered and broke free of its hinges. Smiling, Ren kept his palm against the door. “Thank you. I’ll make sure you rest.”

The cell Ren had entered couldn’t have been more different from the one he’d been put in. While his was full of dirt and nothing, the cell he’d let himself into was higher security. A single elf was held captive in the center of the room. The magi were smart enough to restrict his movements or else he would have escaped long ago.

The elf sat in a chair bolted to the floor in the center of the room. Small bands were looped tightly around his body every few inches with strong, stout wires connecting him to the ceiling, the walls, and the floor. The elf looked like an overstrung puppet as he sat in the middle of the room. His bonds were so tight that movement was impossible.

Stepping further into the room, Ren noticed the pair of eyes on him. The elf may not have been able to move, but he could still communicate well enough. “Hello, I’m Ren, the last of the fairies.”

The eyes that Ren stared into blinked a few times before the look in them changed from confusion and surprise to apprehension and pleading. This elf had been trapped for too long. “I’m here to free you. The wind has missed you for far too long.”

The elf blinked slowly back at him. Ren knew he was being asked a question. “I only ask that you consider helping me prepare for the final battle. I will need your help. You’ve already experienced a little of what will befall the earth if we fail.”

Ren moved through the wires in the room as he talked. Instead of doing what he’d done before with the cuffs and just move through them, he snapped them with his fingers before getting closer to the elf seated before him. Without a sound, he broke the mouthpiece holding the wind elf’s jaw in place.

“Why do you need me?”

“Because you have the best outcome.”

“That’s not very gratifying.”

Ren couldn’t help but smile at that. “I could have chosen others that were much easier to reach and ask, but I chose to come here and free you. The powers you have and the morals you keep show me that in order for good to triumph evil and for me to fulfill Mother’s task, you must be the one by my side. I ask for your assistance but I do not demand it. I’ll free you either way.”

With that, Ren sent a charge of his own magic through one of the links on JR’s body. Every line that held him snapped. Each and every band on him broke, leaving the wind elf free to move as he pleased.

Raising one of his arms, JR brought it down swiftly to create a current. The air moving against his skin felt like heaven. It was a feeling he hadn’t felt in a long time and needed to indulge in. Without responding to the fairy that had freed him, JR moved to the broken door.

Ren watched as the wind elf moved out into the hall and found the wind moving through the top of the tunnel. Within seconds, he was gone. The rumors of his power and ability were not exaggerated.

Sighing, Ren made his way to the same door. His visions of the future told him that lingering in the cell wasn’t a good idea. He might have been forgotten for a while in his cell, considering he was a lowly elf, but JR was a strong wind elf and someone they frequently checked on. He needed to go.

Leaving the underground prison a different way than how he entered, Ren made for an exit. He’d done what he’d come to do. JR was free. Pausing at the entrance, Ren rested his hand against the carved earth. He frowned before pressing a bit of his magic into the walls. Over the next several days, the other elves would find their way out. Once they were all free, the earth would succumb to its weariness. The magi that had harmed it would never leave their prison.

Smiling as the wind ruffled his hair as he stepped out into the sunlight once more, Ren closed his eyes briefly to enjoy it. He tipped his head back and let the breeze push him away from the cave entrance. “Thank you for your help, old friend.”

The wind swirled around him once more before racing away over the ground. Ren was tempted to follow it. He wanted to stretch out his wings and enjoy a lovely afternoon as he had so many years ago before everything had changed.

Letting his mind drift in memories for a moment, Ren let himself focus on what was. It wasn’t often that he thought of the past. His mind was so often focused on the future that he barely had time to remember those that had sacrificed everything so that he could continue on.

Shaking himself, Ren pushed those thoughts from his mind as he made his way out into the nearby forest. He needed to find Aaron. They had to be on their way.

Aaron, sitting up in a tree, smiled as he watched Ren make his way through the forest. “There you are. I was getting ready to storm the place.”

Returning the smile, Ren tipped his head back to look up at the wood elf. “Did you have any trouble out here?”

Laughing, Aaron leaned back against the tree he was in. “I’m pretty sure you already know the answer to that question.”

“Doesn’t mean I shouldn’t ask it.”

Humming, Aaron stared at the fairy for a few minutes before shrugging. “So where’s the elf you went in for.”

“Enjoying his freedom. He hasn’t made up his mind, though he soon will. Don’t worry so much about it. We should go. This area isn’t safe and they’ll know by now that JR is missing.”

Aaron nodded as he swung himself down and out of the tree. He ran his palm against its trunk, encouraging it to grow and live a long life before he turned to Ren. “JR, huh? I think I’ve heard of him. Powerful wind elf?”

Nodding at that, Ren motioned for Aaron to follow him as he led them away from the underground prison. “Yes, I freed him with the request that he helps us. He’s been held a prisoner for a long time. He’ll make up his mind after he has a chance to clear it first.”

“Whatever you think is best.”

Ren couldn’t help the small smile that graced his lips as Aaron followed him away from the prison and the magi that were lurking around. “The wind helped me to free him. I’m sure that he’ll find his way to us sooner or later.”

Aaron rolled his eyes behind Ren’s back. He hadn’t been around the fairy for long but he was already picking up on his quirks. For someone that could see into the future, Ren liked to imply that he was never sure what was really going to happen. “Where are we going next?

Without turning back, Ren asked, “How do you feel about the ocean?”

XXX

The wind felt amazing as JR let it take him wherever it desired. The breeze caressed his skin as the wind whispered to him. It had much to say to the elf who was missing for so long. He couldn’t help but laugh as the wind took him far away from the prison he’d been trapped in.

Landing on the edge of a cliff with the wind urging him to continue on, JR stopped to look over the ocean. The sun was beginning to rise. “I know that you tried your best to get to me. They planned that place with me in mind. They knew what they were doing. It wasn’t your fault.”

The wind tugged at him some more. JR was tempted to let it take him wherever it desired. The only thing that stopped him from doing so was the sight before him. The dawning of a new day was a sight he hadn’t seen in many long years.

He was able to stand there was because of a fairy that requested his aid in saving the world. JR didn’t know what he could do to help, but he sure as hell was going to try. “We need to find the fairy. Have you met him? He’s quite lovely.”

The wind hummed its response before picking up JR to aid him in his search for Ren. They flew together over grassy plains and tall mountains as the wind did as asked.

JR couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re doing this on purpose. Even if I help him, I won’t be parted from you again.”

Switching their direction, the wind ruffled the leaves of the forest they skimmed over before slowing JR down. The wind swirled around its elf even as it let his feet touch the ground.

Landing gently in the middle of a dense forest, JR looked for the fairy that freed him. “Are you sure this is where he is?”

Not far through the trees, Ren looked up from where he and Aaron were resting with a smile. “JR.”

Aaron looked up with a frown. The other elf had definitely taken his time. “Is he here?”

Letting the wind bring him the few steps he needed to take, JR appeared before the fairy and a second elf he hadn’t been aware of. “I have come to help you.”

Pleased, Ren didn’t bother to hide his small smile. His company was growing. The future was looking bright.

Aaron, on the other hand, wasn’t as pleased as Ren was. He couldn’t help but be skeptical about an elf that had already proven himself as flighty. “Great. You’re here.”

JR glanced at the other elf before returning his gaze to Ren. “Do you still need me?”

Ren nodded his head as he gestured for JR to join them. “As long as you’re willing to help me, I need you.”

Satisfied, JR sat near Ren. He let his gaze drift around the forest before looking back at the fairy. “What are you doing here?”

Smiling at that, Ren gestured over to Aaron. “We like to take breaks while we travel every now and then. Aaron likes to meet new plants and trees. We’ll rest here for a while before moving on.”

Leaning back against a tree, JR grinned as he felt the wind sweep over him. His smile grew when he noticed how disgruntled the wood elf was by the breeze. “Wonderful. I’ve been meaning to do some relaxing now that I’m free. Thanks for that, by the way.”

Waving off his thanks, Ren turned back to Aaron. “So? What do you think of this forest?”

Smiling back at Ren, Aaron rested one of his hands against the tree closest to him. “It’s lovely. Thank you for bringing me here.”

“There are many more places that you will see, Aaron.”

Closing his eyes, Aaron told the trees around him to dig their roots deep and grow strong. “I’m sure that I’ll enjoy all of them.”


	3. Chapter 3

“All I’m saying is that it wouldn’t kill you to walk. The wind thing is really getting old.”

Scowling, JR stayed in his solid form for a moment to retort Aaron’s comment. The wood elf was really getting on his nerves. “I haven’t been with the wind for a long time, Woodsy. I’m going to use it to my heart’s content.”

Aaron couldn’t help but roll his eyes. He had half a mind to ask Ren if the fairy was certain that they needed this particular wind elf. “Whatever, get back to what you were doing, butterfly.”

Solidifying directly in front of Aaron, JR snarled in the wood elf’s face. “Jealous!”

“Am not!”

“Are too!”

Sighing, Ren continued on with his walking. Despite the amount of bickering the two did, they kept up with the fairy. Ren didn’t mind so much as long as his new friends didn’t forget he was there.

Freezing, Ren let his mind slip from the two fighting just behind him to the future. The water elf was on the move again. This one was harder to predict. Wood elves are rather stationary creatures. Wind elves can be hard to track, though JR was easy since he was in captivity, but this water elf. Ren was having a hard time figuring out how to get to him. So much trouble now for less trouble later.

“You can’t even do that! You should jus- Ren, are you okay?”

JR instantly let go of the scowl he held on his lips to look at the fairy he was becoming rather fond of. The male was usually so quiet, but so adorable that JR couldn’t help but want to squish him all the time. Right now, however, the fairy stood completely still while staring at nothing. He also didn’t answer Aaron’s question. “Ren?”  
  
Scenarios flew through Ren’s head as he tried to decide the correct path to take. Seeing the future was extremely hard work when there were so many possibilities and almost endless choices. Some paths might give him better results right away but could end in destruction later. Others would start off bleak and ugly and turn into something beautiful. Ren always had to be tremendously careful when dealing with anything to do with the future. It wasn’t only his future that he was shaping, after all.

Moving a step closer, Aaron quickly realized that Ren was just fine but doing his future-y stuff. “Don’t bother him for a few minutes. He’s checking his choices.”

This being the first time that he’d really seen Ren in action, JR moved closer as well to watch carefully. He wanted to know what Ren looked like when he did this in case there came a time in the future when he would need to know what the fairy was doing and it was only the two of them. “His eyes look so glossy.”

Rolling his own eyes, Aaron felt like smacking the wind elf. “Of course they do. He’s looking into the future. He can’t see what’s going on around him right now.”

Smirking, the wind elf moved until he was less than an inch from the fairy’s face.

“What are you doing?”

Ignoring the hiss from the wood elf, JR waited for Ren to ‘wake up’.

Shoving the other out of Ren’s personal space, Aaron tried his hardest to keep his cool. Usually, it took a lot to rile a wood elf up, but this wind jerk kept rustling his leaves. Now wasn’t the moment, however, for Aaron to just start screaming. They were currently traveling through land that they weren’t familiar with, even though Ren said they were safe, Aaron still didn’t want to attract any unwanted attention. “That’s just rude! Don’t do that to him!”

Pouting now that Aaron had ruined his fun, JR floated back until he sat on a rock. “I was just going to scare him a little.”

“Yes, that’s a great idea. Let’s scare the life right out of the last fairy. Genius.”

“You know, sarcasm doesn’t really fit your face.”

“My fist will fit yours.”

Eyes returning to normal just in time for Ren to catch Aaron’s retort to whatever JR had said to him, Ren turned to face his companions. “We need to go south now.”

“This is the fourth time we’ve changed direction today. Are you sure he’s not purposely making us go in circles?”

Smiling, Ren shrugged. “He might be. Water elves are tricky creatures. They tend to find a way out of whatever problem they’re stuck in. Even if this particular elf is leading us around on purpose, I will still follow because I need him. I had to prove myself to both of you, why not him?”

Feeling a bit guilty about that now, JR and Aaron sort of just shrugged. Who were they to tell Ren what to do? The fairy could see into the future, which was why they just followed no matter how many times the fairy headed off in a new direction.

Dropping his smile, Ren once again began walking in the direction he knew was taking them one step closer to the water elf, even if it didn’t feel that way quite yet. Their path would become more difficult, but it held a greater chance for the outcome that he wanted. “Are you coming?”

Stumbling to follow the fairy, Aaron glared at the floating wind elf as he effortlessly caught up with their fairy companion. “Stupid butterfly.”

“Are you that slow because you really are made out of wood?”

Truth be told, Aaron didn’t exactly like all the traveling they were doing. He’d rather have one spot to call his own or stay in a few places for longer amounts of time rather than quickly changing locations. He didn’t know how the wind elf or Ren could do it. “Nope, but I’ll still beat your ass.”

“You’ve been looking at my ass?”  
  
Aaron deadpanned as he watched the wind elf attempt to look over his shoulder at his butt. “No, I haven’t and I never will. No, thank you.”

Ren smiled a bit at that. Aaron could say whatever he wanted at the present, however, that didn’t mean that it was going to stay that way in the future. There were other reasons that Ren was picking the people that he was picking. At the moment, however, he could not breathe a word of this future, or else the possibilities of it not happening increased. Ren did not want that. Not at all.

Their direction changed twice more before Ren called their movement to a halt. The area they were currently in was one of the more dangerous places of late. The water elf was definitely testing them. “JR, I need you to check the area over. Ask the wind for help. Don’t be seen.”

Taking off instantly, JR followed Ren’s directions as he and the wind searched the area. What they were looking for, JR wasn’t entirely sure. He was thinking about going back to ask the fairy when he spotted a group of magi. The dark creatures hadn’t always been so prevalent, though they had definitely become more common in recent years. JR had noticed the rise in their numbers before he was captured, and he could say for a fact that there were a lot more of them than they let anyone see.

As JR looked down at the foul creatures that worked for all that was evil, he realized that Ren was it. Ren was the last fairy left on Earth to carry out the Mother’s plan. If he failed… JR didn’t really want to think about what would happen if he failed. Then again, Ren was reminded of that every time he looked into the future and followed a possibility that ended badly. He wasn’t certain how the fairy could do it, but JR was more certain than ever that he was going to protect his fairy.

Returning quickly, JR made certain to keep his voice low and motion for the other two to do so as well. “They aren’t far to the north. If we head south then they shouldn’t even know we’re passing by. There are too many to fight off.”

Aaron was all for following the wind elf’s suggestion, even if he didn’t get along so well with said elf. His feet were all prepared to take him in that direction, however, it wasn’t to be.

“He’s testing us to see if we’re with them or not. We need to have some sort of confrontation so that he’ll understand what side we fight for.”

Mouth dropping, JR couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Here he was trying to make the other two realize how important it was for them to just head in the opposite direction and he was being told that some water elf needed to see them fight the enemy. How was he supposed to protect the last fairy if the last fairy was dead? “What?”

With no emotion, Ren looked at his two companions. “Were either of you any different?”  
  
Swallowing, Aaron slowly shook his head. No, he’d made Ren prove himself and then demanded for time before helping the fairy. He definitely had no room to talk. “What do you want us to do?”

Pissed that the wood elf would just give in so quickly, but clearly outnumbered, JR simply nodded to Aaron’s question.

Smiling a bit, Ren motioned toward the north where JR reported the magi to be. “Be elves. I picked you both for a reason. Use the powers that you have.”

Sighing, Aaron turned to the wind elf he just couldn’t get along with. “For a bit, let’s work together. If you give me a chance to wake up the trees then you can lure a few to me and I’ll leave them trapped beneath the roots forever.”

“I can do that.”

Ren calmly sat on a rock off to the side before motioning for the two to get to work. “Please do your best. Come back safely.”

“Are we really going to come back safely if the one that can see into the future is wishing us well?”

Ignoring JR’s muttering, Aaron headed off through the trees looking for the right ones to help him. Quietly, he woke them. “Old tree, great tree. Wake for me now. Evil has come here and threatens your rest. Wake now and aid me in ridding them from your land.”

JR wasn’t going to admit that he was rather impressed when the trees actually began creaking and moving as Aaron spoke to them. He supposed he shouldn’t have been too surprised considering he could speak to the wind, but seeing something that didn’t usually move the way the trees were moving, was quite the sight to see.

Satisfied with his work, Aaron turned to the wind elf. “Bring them here. We’ll take care of them.”

Disappearing from Aaron’s side to weave through the still sleeping trees with the wind’s help, JR tried to think of what he was going to do to lure the magi toward the trap they set. Figuring that just about anything would work, the elf directed the wind to drop him at the edge of the group. Letting himself be seen would probably be the fastest way to ensure a chase.

Hating how he was always right, JR made certain to appear to be startled when the magi caught sight of him. The ugly creatures shrieked as they pointed gnarled fingers at him and began the chase. JR was all too delighted when they followed right along behind him as he led them straight to their trap.

Aaron was ready. He could hear the moronic creatures crashing through the undergrowth of the forest. The foul creatures were definitely going to pay for the damage they were doing to the forest. “Do you hear that? They’re ruining your home. Destroying it with no remorse. Do not let them escape.”

The leaves on the trees began to quiver. Aaron knew that he had their attention. He knew they were asking what they could do. They couldn’t move from their places in the ground to chase down the intruders. They could only shake their branches and wiggle their roots.

“They are coming. Loosen your roots and drag them deep into the ground so they may never damage another tree again.”

JR would have been afraid if Aaron hadn’t been there. The wood elf looked regal as he spoke to the trees, giving them ideas as to what they should be doing. The trees truly looked fearsome as JR landed next to his traveling companion. He was rather glad that their wrath wasn’t directed toward him. The feeling only grew as the fools chasing him entered the area.

The trees were infuriated. Aaron could feel their anger trembling through their bark. It was something the magi missed as they were too excited at the sight of two elves to pay attention to the trees. This was their mistake. Rushing at Aaron and JR, the creatures shuffled right between the enraged trees. Shrieks tore from their throats as the last glimpse of earth they say were the two elves smiling.

Seeing the last get sucked into the ground, Aaron praised the hardworking trees. “You’ve saved us. The forest is at peace again. Can you feel their evil leaving? Make certain they are deep and keep them forever trapped. Rest, you have earned rest.”

The wood elf was definitely more respectful when he spoke to the trees. JR was sort of jealous. “Why can’t you speak to me like that?”

Frowning, Aaron turned to retort but barely had the chance to open his mouth when a look of pure horror crossed JR’s face. “What?”

Turning, JR began to run. “The wind. It told me that Ren is no longer alone!”

Aaron’s heart dropped. Ren must have known that this would happen. He could see into the future, after all, and he’d purposely put himself into danger. “Use the wind and get there faster, you idiot!”

Letting the wind carry him, JR hoped he wouldn’t be too late.


	4. Chapter 4

With his two traveling companions gone to fight the magi, Ren had no choice but to wait for their return. He knew what was coming as he sat on his rock. The reason he’d sent them away was not just so that the water elf could see which side they fought for. Not a few minutes later, he felt the presence of a particular elf behind him. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

Pausing in his approach, the water elf figured he should have known that the fairy would know he was coming. At least the other two were gone for now. “You’ve been following me, fairy. Why?”

“I need your help to save the future.”

Scoffing, the water elf hardly wanted to believe what the other was saying. What could he do? He couldn’t even find the elf he was looking for. “I’d be of no help.”

Turning to look at the tall water elf, Ren smiled at him. “That isn’t true. I’ve seen the future, Minhyun. I need your help.”

Minhyun took a few more steps to put him closer to the fairy seated on a rock before him. “I have heard that fairies have mysterious powers. I also heard that they only help Mother.”

Not being able to dispute that, Ren nodded his head before shrugging. “You are correct, however, that also depends on the fairy. Being that I’m the last one, I don’t really have any peers to answer to. As long as I complete my task, I will do whatever I can to help anyone else as well.”

This was his chance. Minhyun wanted to end his long search for his teacher and this fairy could help him. If he could see into the future like he said then he’d be able to find the elf that Minhyun sought. “Then you’ll-“

Ren knew it was coming, which was why he let it happen. Just as Minhyun reached out to place his hand on Ren’s shoulder, the wind – and JR – grabbed the fairy from behind and spun him so that JR was between Ren and the strange elf. The wind elf was relentless as he took up a fighting stance and scowled at the male before them.

“Who are you and what do you want?”  
  
Placing his hand on JR’s shoulder, Ren attempted to soothe the wind elf. He didn’t really blame him for thinking that Ren was in trouble. From what the fairy saw of the future, JR was always going to be rather protective of him. “JR, this is Minhyun, the water elf we’ve been looking for.”

Not dropping his stance, JR looked the water elf over. The man was pretty, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t a threat. “So that answers the ‘who’ part. What do you want?”

Sighing, Ren decided to just allow JR to hash it out with the water elf. It was sort of needed anyhow. The two were going to be friends. There was no time like the present to start working on said friendship.

Scowling, Minhyun hadn’t expected the wind elf to be so powerful that he could travel with the wind. The last wind elf he’d heard about that could do that was betrayed by those of his race and imprisoned. There was no way that they were one and the same, however, since those who were captured never came back. “I want the fairy’s help. I have been searching for my old teacher and cannot find him anywhere. He was more than just a mentor to me, he’s family.”

JR crossed his arms as he scoffed. “And why should Ren, Aaron, and I help you with that?”

“I don’t want all of you to help me. Just the fairy.”

“We come as a package deal.”

The water elf rolled his eyes as a fourth person came running into the area. “Oh, great.”

Panting, Aaron attempted to stand straight so that he could appear somewhat menacing to the elf he didn’t know standing before JR and Ren. “What’s going on? Who’s this? Are you all right, Ren?”

“You’re too slow. Are your feet actually rooted to the ground?”

Scowling at JR, Aaron was at least pleased that the third elf there wasn’t a threat. If JR could insult him then the situation wasn’t too serious. “Not all of us can just float away like dust in the wind. We should have left you in that prison.”

Eyes widening, Minhyun looked from the scowling wind elf to the equally pissed looking wood elf. “There’s no way that… You really are him?”

Looking back to the water elf that he’d almost completely forgotten about, JR raised an eyebrow before asking just one of the questions floating around in his mind. “Who is him?”

“The elf that was betrayed and captured. How did you get free? That’s impossible!”

Pointing over his shoulder at the fairy he was protecting, JR couldn’t help but feel as though the water elf wasn’t as smart as he should have been. One too many bubbles in that elf’s brain. “Fairy.”

Minhyun took a few steps back to lean against a large tree. “No way. The fairy got you out of the prison? Is that why you’re his guard dog?”

Scowling, JR wanted to argue that it wasn’t true. Aaron’s laughter cut him off from doing so.

“You’re probably right. Then again, Ren needs our help just as he needs yours. After he helped us out, we’re helping him. We’re friends now.”

JR nodded to what the wood elf was saying, not that he’d ever agree out loud with Aaron, but he did consider Ren to be his friend now. Traveling with the fairy definitely made him realize that he didn’t want to just be indebted because he was given his freedom. Ren had told him back in his cell that the fairy would free him either way. JR wanted to think that he was helping Ren out of his own free will. It was a wind thing. “So are you going to make him prove himself before you help us or what?”

Still convinced that he wouldn’t be able to help, Minhyun shook his head. “There’s nothing I can do. I can’t even find my teacher, but you could. You could find him, couldn’t you, Ren?”

Having all three of the elves looking at him made Ren let out a small sigh before nodding. “I can take you to where he should be. Please know that the future is vast and always changing. I do not know what we’ll find when we get there.”

Waving his hand through the air, Minhyun shook off Ren’s warning without giving it much thought. “At this point, any sort of help is welcomed. I don’t even know where to truly start looking. He was called off long ago for a meeting and never came back. He was my teacher and friend. I only want to know what happened to him.”

Collapsing against the base of a tree, Aaron was pleased that they could finally stop wandering in circles to find the elusive water elf. He wasn’t, however, pleased to hear that they’d just be starting off on another trip to get to wherever the elf’s teacher was. This was just too much traveling, though Aaron would never openly complain to Ren. Especially not in front of JR since the wind elf would never let him live it down. Aaron could do whatever JR could. “Can we at least rest before setting out?”

Minhyun was about to open his mouth to warn the elf about the group of magi nearby when Ren spoke up first.

“Did you kill them all?”  
  
Nodding, JR confirmed that they had, in fact, wiped out the evil lurking in the forest. “Aaron got the trees to pull those creatures deep into the ground. They won’t be bothering anyone ever again.”

“You can do that?”

Aaron smiled without opening his eyes. “Yeah, trees are easy to speak to. The earth and other plants can be a bit more stubborn, but I can still do it.”

Lifting an eyebrow, JR couldn’t help but be a bit surprised by what Aaron was confessing. “So you’re saying that you like to talk to rocks in your free time?”

“Watch it, flutters, or you might join those magi.”

Laughing, JR used the wind to lift him off the ground and out of the danger zone. “I’d like to see you try!”

Watching the two interact, Minhyun finally realized why it was that the fairy had been left alone. “So you went to fight the magi?”

Turning to look down at the water elf, JR felt the confusion beginning to build in his head. “Well, yeah, Ren said that you were testing us.”

“Testing you for what?”  
  
Scowling, JR turned to the stoic fairy, who was sitting back on his rock. “Ren!”

Quizzically, Ren looked up at the wind elf after said elf groaned out his name. “What is it?”

“You made us go fight those things for no reason!”

Aaron, finally catching on to what JR had figured out, snapped his eyes open. “Ren did what!?”

Acting as innocent as he could, Ren shrugged his shoulders before pouting a bit. “Minhyun wasn’t going to approach me while you were both here and I knew that we needed them gone in order to rest here for the night. There‘s no harm done, besides, you need the practice.”

Groaning again, JR landed on the ground near Aaron before flopping down onto the small amount of grass in the little clearing. “You’re lucky that you’re cute.”

Ren gave the elf a soft smile before turning back to the water elf. “We’ll take you to where your teacher should be. You can decide after we get there whether or not you will help me.”

Minhyun was pleased to find that he didn’t have to commit to anything before getting the help he sought. “Do we have far to go?”

Settling between the two elves that were already his traveling companions, Ren nodded his head. “We’ll have to cross an ocean and that’s after crossing most of the continent.”

Opening his eyes again to look at the fairy, Aaron couldn’t help but feel a bit put out. “I’m a wood elf, remember? How do you expect me to cross the ocean?”

Turning his gaze back to Minhyun, Ren gave the water elf an encouraging smile. “With a little help.”

XXX

Their trip across the continent was not long enough, which was saying something considering wood elves did not like to travel. Nothing could have ever prepared Aaron, however, for the way they were traveling across the water. Usually, wood elves had no use to cross oceans or even lakes. They liked staying in one spot for long periods of time so traveling wasn’t exactly on their agendas, which was why Aaron was having such a difficult time with how they were traveling now.

JR used his wind to float him along at the same pace they were moving. Minhyun simply walked along the top of the water with Ren at his side. Aaron seemed to be the only one struggling with the fact that his feet weren’t sinking into the depths below him at all. Minhyun had done some talking with the water and asked that they cross it safely. Apparently, the ocean agreed because they were well on their way across it while walking like they were strolling along regular ground. Aaron really didn’t like it.

The air was too open. There were no trees. No rocks. No earth. Not unless you counted what was thousands and thousands of feet below him through all that water. He didn’t really want to think about that anyhow. The elf missed his forest, though he wouldn’t leave Ren for the world.

“Come on, slowpoke. You’ve been traveling like this for more than two days and you’re still walking like a baby deer. Minhyun said he wouldn’t let you fall.”

Taking his next step just as carefully as he’d taken the last, Aaron spared a glance at the wind elf to scowl at him. “I like the earth, JR. And while I understand the importance of water and respect it completely, I cannot and will not ever get used to traveling this way. Make fun of me all you want, but this is how I am.”

Ren, having stopped to wait for the other two, smiled a bit at Aaron’s words. The steadfastness was what had originally attracted the fairy to this particular elf. Aaron was going to be in charge of tasks that he’d never understand the importance of, but would never give up on. The elf was crossing an ocean by walking on water despite the fact that he was uncomfortable and hated every second of it. The trait made Ren like him even more. “We’re almost to the island.”

The words were probably supposed to be reassuring, but all Aaron heard was ‘island’, which meant land, but also meant that if they ever wanted to leave the island, which they would because the damn fairy just liked to travel too much to stay put in one freaking place, they’d have to travel in the same manner to get back to the mainland. “Please tell me that we’re going to stay there for at least a day before moving on. I need a break.”

As much as he wanted to, JR really couldn’t find it in himself to tease the already stressed wood elf. Traveling was nothing to the wind elf. All wind elves practically lived that way. Constantly traveling and seeing the world. Sometimes he forgot that one of his companions liked to remain stationary. “I suppose it depends on what the island is like.”

Ren nodded his agreement to that just before Minhyun called for them to continue on their way. The water elf was rather eager to find his mentor. “The length of our rest will depend on Minhyun, and, as JR said, what state the island is in. There is a shroud over the area blocking it out from my sight. I know that it is the right spot because I was there when it was decided. However, I cannot see what is happening there any longer.”

Taking the hand that Ren was offering to him, Aaron sought out the little bit of comfort the fairy’s touch could bring him as they continued their journey. “What do you mean by shroud?”  
  
Squeezing the hand in his as they rejoined Minhyun, Ren decided it wouldn’t hurt to explain a bit before they reached their destination. “Mother knew that someday we’d have to fight to protect her earth. In order to do so, she prepared a way for us to do so. To protect her guardians, she placed a spell over the areas that they protected to hide them from our enemies and keep what they protected safe and a secret until the time came that they were needed. Minhyun’s mentor was called to be one of those guardians. I know where he is, but I cannot see what has happened there since the spell was placed. We must be very careful.”

JR didn’t like the sense of foreboding that settled in his gut at the sound of Ren’s words. The fairy was usually confident about what they were doing and what needed to be done. The fact that he was a bit uncertain about what the future could hold for them was a little unnerving for the wind elf. “But you see us beyond this island, right? Our futures don’t end there so everything is going to work out.”

The smile that Ren gave the elf was small. He couldn’t force it to be larger than that. “The future that I’m working for allows us to live for a long time yet. Unfortunately, that is not the only path that we could end up taking.”

Aaron, despite being as uncomfortable as he was walking on water, felt even more discomfort settle on him due to the topic of their conversation. So far, he and Minhyun had listened quietly, but the wood elf felt as though they were being too pessimistic. “Whatever is happening on that island, Ren, we’ll protect you. We’ll help you work for the future that you want.”

JR was quick to agree, and though Minhyun was still uncertain about what he would do, Ren knew that all three elves were good people and would do their best to keep each other out of harm. “I have faith in you.”

The determined look on JR’s face reflected how Aaron felt inside. They would definitely protect Ren. He may be the last, but he wouldn’t be the end.


	5. Chapter 5

For as much as Aaron wanted to reach the island they were heading for, he didn’t want to step foot on land. It wasn’t land. Well, it wasn’t real land. Whatever this island was made out of, it held none of the permanence of earth. All it held was fear and the feel of an end. “I don’t think I can do this.”

Being that he was a wind elf and not at all connected to the earth like his companion, JR used his abilities to land him softly on a beach. The island looked normal to him. Nothing seemed out of place. There were a few trees that provided some shade and some grasses to give them a break from the sand. “It’s just an island.”

Ren let go of Aaron’s hand to allow the elf to come ashore when he felt ready. “The island was created, Aaron, to help protect the stone. When its purpose has been served, it will be no more.”

Nodding, Aaron understood why he could feel that the island was only temporary. “Why is it so afraid?”

JR couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. No one was afraid except the wood elf. He was about to point that out when Minhyun cut him off.

“Why don’t I see my mentor? Isn’t this where you said he’d be.”

Shuddering as he finally stepped onto the sand, Aaron felt like crying out. The earth – as temporary as it was – called out to him in fear and sadness. Gasping, the wood elf dropped to his knees and buried his hands in the sand. “Tell me.”

Ren motioned just in time for JR to remain silent as Aaron knelt with his head down. The fairy knew that the elf was listening to the story of the land. Even if it wasn’t real, the island could tell them what had happened to the guardian.

Speaking as though he was in a trance, Aaron kept his eyes closed and let the voices flow. _“They came after he disappeared. We were worried that they’d discover it. They came with anger and destruction. Left the same. Many died trying to reach the protected place. So much death in the creatures that like the dark.”_

Minhyun rushed to the kneeling elf. “They found this place! The magi did? What does the earth tell you of my teacher? Please, I must know.”

Not liking the way the water elf was shaking Aaron, JR used the wind to push him over to the other two and hold Minhyun back so he couldn’t harm the kneeling elf. “Let him finish.”

Collapsing forward, Aaron felt a few tears running down his face. The island was so afraid. They wished for their task to be over so they could sleep. They didn’t know the answer to Minhyun’s question. They didn’t know what happened to the guardian. Only that he spent a lot of time in the protected place and just never came back. “They don’t know. He went to the protected place and didn’t come back. The magi came afterward.”

The pull was strong. Ren could feel the magic swirling around the fake island. “We should find the stone.”

“That’s not why we came,” Minhyun protested.

Sighing, JR released the elf he realized he was still holding back. “If we find the stone that your mentor was to protect then we’ll find your mentor.”

Turning to the fairy, Minhyun couldn’t help but demand to know where the stone was. “Then where do we look?”

Ren turned back to look at the quivering Aaron on the sand. The wood elf was definitely going to have a hard time recovering from everything the island just put him through. Ren could feel the power as it passed from earth to elf. “JR, if you stay with Aaron I will take Minhyun. We will be quite safe. Please take care of him.”

Not wanting to show his concern for the elf still on the ground, JR nodded to the fairy before moving to sit beside Aaron. He didn’t touch the other elf. Instead, he just sat near him in case he was needed. “Don’t hesitate to call if you need me. The wind will let me know if you need anything.”

As if to confirm his statement, the wind ruffled around the boys on the island, making their hair dance in front of their eyes and their clothes to unstick from their skin under the hot sun.

“Of course, we’ll call out if we need anything,” Minhyun said before turning away from the two elves on the beach to head further inland.

Sending his friends a small smile, Ren followed after the water elf. He knew that he didn’t need to guide Minhyun anywhere. The elf could feel the pull just as well as Ren could. The small size of the island also made it simple for him to figure out where to go.

“What is this?”

Looking down at where Minhyun gestured, Ren looked back up into angry eyes. “The protection.”

There was no way that this fairy hadn’t planned all of this. Minhyun should have known that he was being used. His mentor wasn’t there. All that was there was a hole. A hole filled with water. Minhyun could feel its depth. It was one of the deepest spots he’d ever felt in the world. He could also feel the pull of something more hidden deep within. “You planned this.”

“I do plan a lot of things, but for your mentor to be gone was not one of them. I knew that I would need your help, Minhyun, but I also need his. The island told Aaron that he went here and never came back. You might find him in its depth.”

Scoffing, Minhyun crossed his arms over his chest before glaring at the elf. “The water says that no one is here.”

“The decision to enter is yours. If you want to give up and leave, we will.”

Minhyun hated that he’d been manipulated, but he hated not having a definite answer even more. “I will go in, but I won’t give you what you want.”

Not having a chance to reply, the fairy simply sat near the hole of deep water as Minhyun dove into it.

Home, Minhyun felt as though he was home, which was odd since water, even though he always enjoyed being in it, had never given him this feeling before. Water elves never felt at home since water was constantly moving and changing, but this place was different. The elf was almost afraid to stay there. Still, he felt something deeper and pressed on. He wouldn’t give up just because the feel of the water was different here from other places.

Losing track of how deep he actually was, Minhyun continued his descent. The deeper he went the more he felt as though he were in the right place. The more he felt that he didn’t need to return to the surface ever again. The water here would provide for him, take care of him, love him. Minhyun wanted to accept the feeling but pressed on with the want to understand as the only thing keeping him focused.

It could have been hours or minutes later, the water elf didn’t know. Finally, however, he reached something of a bottom. It wasn’t exactly the bottom of the deep hole. Minhyun knew that this place had no sense of space now that he was in it. What appeared to be a very narrow and deep hole from the top turned out to be whatever it wanted on the inside. There was room for the water elf. Room for him to never have to leave.

The pull of the object calling out to him brought Minhyun out of his thoughts of staying in the water forever. He needed to know. He wanted to know. Just as he reached for what looked to be a stone – the water was rather dark and gloomy though Minhyun could see almost perfectly – the water elf drew back into a defensive stance.

A figure burst through the water. It wasn’t another elf or something evil, though it had the shape of an elf. It was water. The being was made completely of water. _“You shall not touch it!”_

Recognizing the voice, Minhyun was pulled further from his desire to stay within the depths of the watery hole. “Teacher! I have found you at last. I have searched for so long. What happened to you?”

The figure of water seemed to be confused for several minutes before its water voice spoke again. _“I am no teacher. I have a task to protect. You shall not touch it.”_

Minhyun didn’t know what to do to make the other elf remember. This elf made of water was definitely his mentor from old. Both spoke the same way and had the same devotion to a task. “You were asked by Mother to guard a stone, yes? I’m not here to take it. I only wanted to see you.”

_“Mother. Yes, she asked me to protect the stone. She warned us all, however, not to stay with it always since the stone will ask the guardian to come home. Back to the element of their race. The stone is always pulling. I am to guard it, why can’t I stay with it?”_

Horrified, Minhyun understood what was happening even though the elf made of water before him seemed oblivious. “You didn’t leave it? You became the element. You’re water now. There must be a way for you to reverse this. Come to the top of the hole with me. A fairy is there. He can help.”

Looking as though he were amused by the panicking elf before him, the water figure all but laughed. _“A fairy, yes. I can feel his presence, but water I will remain. I will stay here and protect the stone, drowning all who try to take it until a proper guardian claims it once more. The stone must be protected, but the protection is only the beginning. The wielder will have to be trained to fight for Mother. I can no longer leave this place. I will rest when the stone has been claimed, but until then, I will protect it.”_

The tears that Minhyun shed were lost within the water he was surrounded by. His mentor was final with his words. There was no hope for the older elf. He knew that he shouldn’t have stayed in the protected space, but the pull was so strong. Even then, Minhyun wanted to give in and just stay with his teacher and help him to keep the stone safe, but he couldn’t. His mind reminded him again and again that his teacher said that protecting the stone was only the beginning. That one would come that would wield the stone and they were to be trained. His mentor could no longer carry out the task, but Minhyun couldn’t let it go unfinished.

The elf had done so much for him in life. Teaching him the flow of water and how to cope with changes and hard bearings. No obstacle could hold water back. All of this, Minhyun learned from the elf before him. The elf that was no more, only a fragment remained to carry out what little he could of the task he was assigned. But Minhyun wouldn’t allow this to be his end. The elf before him had never allowed him to give up, and Minhyun wouldn’t let the other fail either. “Let me finish this task for you, teacher. Let me carry the burden that makes you so weary. Rest now.”

Minhyun reached for the stone but was thrown back by not only his mentor but by a wave of water that seemed to come from the stone itself.

_“The stone shall refuse all that do not accept responsibility!”_

Not understanding, Minhyun tried again to take up the stone. He wanted to do this for his teacher. The water elf wanted to complete the task. “I am taking responsibility.”

This time it wasn’t his mentor’s voice that spoke through the gloom.

_“For the one that comes to save the world. For Mother, herself, do you take responsibility of this stone? To protect it from evil and your own desires? Do you swear it?”_

At that moment, Minhyun understood that taking up the stone would be much more than he originally thought. The task of taking it from the water and returning to Ren would be more consuming than anything the water elf had ever had to do before. His future would be devoted to this one stone, to Mother. “I do.”

The figure of his mentor slowly faded away into the water surrounding him. Minhyun did not miss the smile on his face before he was gone. He also felt the contentment in the water around him, as if a burden had been lifted from a weary soul. Unable to fully appreciate his teacher’s pleasure, Minhyun felt the pull of the stone more so than ever before. He’d been accepted as the new guardian. Just as he reached out and easily lifted the stone from its resting spot, the urge to remain in the depths of the water hit him harder than ever before. They’d be safe there. It’d be so easy to stay there.

Looking in the direction he thought was up, Minhyun weighed his choices. He could return and help the fairy. He could carry out the task that was now his, or he could stay and be one with the water, protecting the stone for forever. Minhyun knew which he should choose, but the pull toward one was much stronger than the other.

XXX

Ren truly did not know how the predicament they found themselves in would end. The shifting of power did not go unnoticed by the fairy; however, he knew that now he had to wait for Minhyun to make his true decision. The water elf was more than likely going to be the one to take up his mentor’s task. Ren realized that the moment they entered the island and the feel of the guardian was weak. He knew that the elf had returned to his element, but he didn’t know if Minhyun would be willing to return to the surface either.

Weaving his fingers through the long grass blowing in the wind, Ren stared at the surface of the water, willing the elf to return. He did not breathe much until the surface broke and the island began to disappear as it was no longer needed to protect the stone taken from its protected place. “Welcome back.”

Grinning in return, Minhyun realized that he’d never exited the water being that the island disappeared to leave them all floating in the middle of the ocean. JR and Aaron’s cries of surprise made the water elf almost as happy as his decision to return. “I’m back.”


End file.
